PrestaShop, WooCommerce or Shopify
PrestaShop is our specialism, but it is not always the right answer. Here is the honest comparison we would give you in a meeting. If another platform fits your business better, we will say so, and point you to someone good.
| PrestaShop | WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting & control | Self-hosted, full control | Self-hosted, full control | Hosted by Shopify, less control |
| Cost model | Open source, no licence or transaction fee. Pay hosting and development. | Open source, free core. Pay hosting, development and some paid extensions. | Monthly subscription plus transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments. |
| B2B & multi-store | Strong native multi-store and B2B | Via plugins | Via Shopify Plus (costly) |
| Customisation | Deep: PHP, Symfony, modules and overrides | Deep: PHP, hooks and a large plugin library | Constrained: Liquid and apps; checkout locked unless on Plus |
| Large catalogues | Handles large catalogues well | Fine to mid-size, needs tuning at scale | Scales, but cost climbs |
| Data residency (SA) | Host in South Africa if you choose | Host in South Africa if you choose | Hosted offshore by Shopify |
| Admin learning curve | Moderate | Familiar if you know WordPress | Easiest of the three |
The honest version
We reach for PrestaShop when a store has a large or structured catalogue, real B2B needs, or a multi-store setup, and when the business wants to own its platform and data outright. We reach for WooCommerce when the site is content-led or already lives in WordPress. We point people to Shopify when they want the simplest possible operation and are happy to trade control and transaction fees for it.
A short paid consultancy ends with a written recommendation, not a pitch. If the answer is not us, you still keep the document.
Want the honest answer
Tell us about your store and what is not working. We will tell you which platform fits, even if it is not the one we specialise in.